Mazu Fortune Stick No. 17 · Zhong Fu Hexagram
求名從此是亨衢，求利剛逢是利區，但許一心求一事，不容兩念並馳驅。 Seeking fame, you are on the open highway; seeking profit, you have come to a rich market. But set your whole heart on a single aim: two wishes cannot ride side by side.
The poem
求名從此是亨衢
Seeking fame, you are on the open highway;
求利剛逢是利區
seeking profit, you have come to a rich market.
但許一心求一事
But set your whole heart on a single aim:
不容兩念並馳驅
two wishes cannot ride side by side.
| Lot | Hexagram |
|---|---|
| No. 17 第十七首 | Zhong Fu 中孚 (Inner Truth) |
Text notes: line 2: the temple website reads 求利逢剛是利區; line 4: the temple website reads 不容兩念是馳驅.
Readings by topic
| Topic | Reading |
|---|---|
| Career & exams | Success by an unusual route comes easily 異路功名 謀為易得 |
| Business | No divided loyalties; fair trade profits 切勿二心 公道利市 |
| Pregnancy | Children come late; think well and they come sooner 子息尚晚 善想早得 |
| Marriage | Not advisable; choose another partner 此卜未宜 另擇佳偶 |
| Travel | Travel pays; gather resources nearby 出門有益 近取資財 |
| Household | Stay focused and the family shines 專心致志 門第光輝 |
| Seeking wealth | The wealth star is clear; easy to get 財星明現 求之易得 |
| Luck of the times | Ordinary times, yet what you seek comes 時運平平 求之必得 |
| Lost items | Neither east nor west; it is right in the middle 不偏東西 一定在中 |
| Farming & livestock | A rich year with some to spare 年豐物阜 今年有餘 |
| Lawsuits | Wrongs will be righted; hopes fulfilled 有屈必伸 有望必達 |
Readings follow the Grand Matsu Temple website; the English is our translation. The temple's list also has an "illness" reading; we leave it out. If you feel unwell, please see a doctor.
What it means
The roads to fame and profit are both open. But pursue one thing with your whole heart; you cannot chase two at once.
Reminder: Focusing on one goal works better than casting a wide net.
This is a plain reading of the words. How it applies to your own question is best settled with the interpreter at the temple where you drew it.
How to draw a lot
- Light incense and tell Mazu your name, birth date and address, then state clearly the one matter you are asking about.
- Cast the moon blocks (jiaobei, two crescent-shaped wooden blocks) to ask whether you may draw. One face up and one face down means yes; then pull one stick from the cylinder.
- Cast the blocks again to confirm that this is your stick. Many temples ask for three yeses in a row; if not, put it back and draw again.
- Collect the poem with the matching number. Read the whole poem, then find the topic below that fits your question. If it is unclear, ask the temple's interpreter.
Ask about one thing at a time; the more specific the question, the easier the poem is to apply.
Common misunderstandings
A gloomy poem means the matter is doomed.
Most poems are reminders and directions. The same poem means different things for different questions, so look at the topic that matches yours.
You can keep drawing on the same question until you get a good poem.
By custom you ask once per matter. If you are still unsure, ask the temple's interpreter, or wait a while and ask again.
Previous: No. 16; next: No. 18.
A straight word: fortune poems are a matter of faith, and the meanings here are ours
The Chinese text, hexagram names and topic readings follow the Grand Matsu Temple of Tainan, checked line by line against three other sources; we only corrected obvious copying errors, and every page shows the temple's original wording wherever we changed it. The English translations and the plain-English meanings are our own reading of the words, not the temple's official interpretation. For a real reading, ask at the temple where you drew the lot. For legal, medical or financial questions, see a professional, and if you feel unwell, see a doctor. Everything on this site is for reference and entertainment.
Beyond the poem: your own chart
Enter your birth date to cast a free BaZi Four Pillars chart and see your Five Elements and Ten Gods.
Mazu fortune stick No. 17: questions
What does Mazu fortune stick No. 17 say?
「求名從此是亨衢，求利剛逢是利區，但許一心求一事，不容兩念並馳驅」 In English: Seeking fame, you are on the open highway; seeking profit, you have come to a rich market. But set your whole heart on a single aim: two wishes cannot ride side by side. It is paired with the Zhong Fu hexagram.
What does Mazu fortune stick No. 17 mean?
The roads to fame and profit are both open. But pursue one thing with your whole heart; you cannot chase two at once. Reminder: Focusing on one goal works better than casting a wide net.